Archive for December, 2011

Austria the Magnificent

Serenely grown in lush majestic hills, Austria has one of the most interesting histories within the wine industry. With evidence of grape growing dating back to 4000 years ago, Austrian wine has most certainly had its share of struggles. After a long history of being affected by wars and outbreaks of powdery and downey mildew, things got even more interesting with the infamous “Antifreeze Scandal” of 1985. That year, it became public that certain wine brokers were altering the wines with diethylene glycol in order to add sweetness and body. Their exports were then banned from numerous countries, resulting in a very difficult time for Austrian winemakers and an inevitably bad reputation around the world. Although this was looking like the end for Austrian wine altogether, fate would prove otherwise. Due to this scandal, Austria laid down new laws for winemaking processes in regards to minimizing yields and discouraging bulk wines. In the end, quality standards increased and Austrian wine was eventually put back on the map.  This event turned out to be a symbolic step for them and Austria is now one of the most respected countries in the world for quality wine production.

The wines of Austria are generally ruled by the country’s classic white varietals. Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s signature grape and has fresh and distinct notes of white pepper and green salad.  Rieslings are next in line of importance, which are typically dry and full bodied with notes of white peach and bold minerality. On the red side of Austria is Blaufränkisch with its soft tannins, crisp acidity, and notes of pepper and sour cherry zest.  St. Laurent is another Austrian specialty that is quite similar to Pinot Noir. When Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent are blended together, they create Austria’s splendid signature red called Zweigelt.

There are two main areas of wine production in Austria, with several subregions within them. Niederösterreich in the northeast is the larger area with the major subregions of Wachau, Kamptal, and Kremstal. Using steep terraced vineyards, these regions produce complex Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.  Rieslings here are commonly a bit more full-bodied than those of Alsace or Germany. Just below that, Burgenland is the other main area and is on the eastern side of the country that borders Hungary. Neusiedlesee and Neusiedlersee-Hugelland are two major subregions that receive consistent amounts of Botrytis from their proximity to Lake Neusiedl. Located on the rolling hills southwest of the lake are the subregions of Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland. It is here where Austria’s finest reds, especially Blaufränkisch, are produced and aged in new French oak.

With its remoteness to any marine influence, Austria is quite steady with its Continental climate. Because of this, wine regions are blessed with short and cold winters, long and warm summers, and very long harvest seasons. The Alps cover most of the west side of the country so vineyards are typically only found in the eastern hills and plains.

Similar to Germany, Austria also has a very complicated way of classifying their wines by quality and sweetness levels. The first major difference from the German system is that in Austria Kabinett level wines are in the category of Qualitätswein, having a maximum of 13% alcohol and with no added sugar. When a quality wine has particular attributes, it is then bumped up into the Prädikatswein classification system. Starting with the first level is Spätlese, meaning “late harvest”, which is intense and full-bodied. Auslese, meaning “selected harvest”, is a step above that and is known to have a very penetrating bouquet. Next level up, and as the first level in the sweet wine category, Beerenauslese refers to “selected berries” and is a rich dessert wine that usually has the influence of Botrytis. Adjacent to that level is Eiswein, or Ice Wine, which is produced by harvesting grapes once they have frozen on the vine. Leaving the grapes on the vine until as late as January, the frozen water is pressed out of the must and only the grapes’ sugar and acidity are left. Another neighboring level is Strohwein which is a dessert wine made from late harvest grapes that were dried on top of straw mats for three months. Next up, Ausbruch is dessert wine that is made from only botrytized grapes and has a minimum sugar level of 27 degrees KMW.  Lastly, the highest level of the Prädikatswein system is Trockenbeerenauslese. Made from “selected dried berries” that are left on the vine until they have dried, this is Austria’s sweetest and most expressive dessert wine.

Through war, through mildew, through scandal and banishment, Austria is the ultimate success story in the history of wines. As one of the world’s favorites, Austrian wines are proof that terrible situations can be turned into epic victories.

O Canada!

This heavily forested country is not only the home of great things like winter sports, but also has a flourishing wine industry.  Having been produced here for over 200 years, Canada’s wine industry was originally based on port and sherry style fortified wines.  It was not until the 1960’s when Canada noticed a higher demand for lower alcohol dry white wines.  As the years went on, the quality of wines produced here improved and the industry began to distinguish itself and be taken more seriously.  1988 was a significant year for the industry due to the establishment of free trade with the US, as well as the establishment of the Vintners Quality Alliance.  Not only is Canada maintaining a good reputation for wine, but these winemakers are also demonstrating how very cool climate regions can still produce complex and aromatic wines.

Canadian wine is mainly produced in British Columbia and Ontario, with some production also in Quebec and Nova Scotia.  British Columbia is blessed with hot and dry summers, long hours of sunshine, and low humidity.  This area’s terroir is consisted of glacial stone, fine sand, silt, clay to the north, and gravel to the south.  Ontario produces the largest percentage of homegrown wine and parallels the US border along Lake Erie.  This region has a continental climate with glacial till and clay-loam soils.

Being the cool climate country that it is, Canada’s wine industry is bolstered by its high quality whites, light reds, and dessert wines.  Riesling is amongst Canada’s most planted varietals.  Elegant, crisp, and long-lived, these Rieslings are produced as dry, late harvest ice, and sparkling wines.  Chardonnay is the other dominant white grape of Canada with its nice structure, natural acidity, and ripe fruit.  Other whites commonly found here are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, and Semillon.

Reds also play a big part in the Canadian wine industry.  Among them are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and French hybrids such as Baco Noir and Marechal Foch.  With its wines being comparable to the finest Beaujolais Crus, Gamay Noir is also making headway with its red berry fruit, French oak, and carbonic maceration.

Another key player in the game is Canada’s ice wine which is usually made from Riesling or Vidal.  These grapes are not harvested until December or January once temperatures have dropped to at least -8 to -10 degrees and they have frozen solid.  Then the grapes are handpicked and pressed while still frozen, highly concentrating the juice with its sugars and acidity.  These wines are luscious with notes of tropical fruits such as pineapple, guava, passion fruit, and mango.

With each year, Canada continues to prove that it can provide the world with more than just awesome ski resorts and maple syrup.  The wines of Canada are receiving more and more attention from wine buyers globally and are now heavily exported throughout the US, Europe, and Asia.

-Juju